Geno Smith recruitment lands Jay-Z under scrutiny with NFLPA

Brooklyn mogul and head of Roc Nation Sports Jay-Z has already ruffled the feathers of the NFL Players Association due to suspected involvement in the recruitment of New York Jets draft pick Geno Smith to his agency. Smith posted a photo on Instagram of he and Jay-Z sitting together a week before Smith officially tabbed the brand new agency to handle what will be a multimillion-dollar rookie deal.

Jay-Z himself is not yet a certified agent and thus is not recognized by the NFLPA as eligible to recruit NFL players or to negotiate contracts for them. Kim Miale, the agent ---with no active NFL clients--- to whom Smith was assigned, is the only representative authorized to interact with Smith on a professional level at this time. Only a recognized agent would have been allowed to meet with Smith to discuss his representation options at the time the photo was posted.

Smith insists that Jay-Z did not persuade him on a professional level to join Roc Nation Sport's stable.

If Jay-Z is in fact working as his own closer, he could not be punished as an individual, but Miale may face penalties or removal of certification. The rapper/entrepreneur met with the league last week in Washington, D.C., but no news of a resolution has come out.